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Anadromous habitat ordinance overreaching

Stealing: (1) To take another’s property dishonestly, esp. in a secret manner. (2) to take (3) to be a thief, to gain insidiously or artfully.

Private: Not open to OR controlled by the public.

Property: (1) ownership (2) something owned esp. Real estate.

This is what I feel has been done by the Borough Assembly Members on the Kenai Peninsula to the private property owners, who also pay their taxes.

I understand there is a fine line between protecting our Anadromous Fish Habitat and protecting our rights as homeowner’s and tax payers. I feel that the assembly crossed that fine line by passing Ordinance 2011-12 without reasonable notice to the property owner’s on the Kenai Peninsula.

There are already numerous laws governing Anadromous bodies of water on the Peninsula. Why the borough finds it necessary to take 50 feet of our private property is not right. Why do they assume that we are not responsible and law abiding property owners? Are they better stewards of our property than we are? I don’t think so. Some of the property owners on these streams and lake have lived here since the early 50s and have always been responsible landowners.

In 1996 the Ordinance was put into effect on the Kenai River. Since that time the king salmon runs are still in decline. I feel that the problem is not with our private streams and lakes. The problem is over harvesting by all user groups. Taking control of our private lakefront will not save the salmon.

To me it seems like the borough assemble members are acting like the politicians in Washington. They seem to pass more and more regulations, and keep taking more constitutionally protected rights away from the people. When will it stop, maybe at the next election? I also feel that the task force that was formed for this ordinance was totally biased in favor of this ordinance.